Tourism and domestic heritage of the Medina of Marrakech : dynamics and challenges around riads-guest houses ; Mise en tourisme du patrimoine domestique de la Médina de Marrakech : dynamiques et enjeux autour des riads-maisons d’hôtes

Doubly classified as a world heritage by UNIESCO, the Medina of Marrakech knows an important socio-spatial and touristic dynamic. The development of tourism and the patrimonialization of places have created an infatuation of foreigners for traditional houses, many of which were converted into guest houses commonly called Riads. This phenomenon has generated many architectural and socio-economic changes. This trend, dating back to the early 1990s, aims to offer tourists accommodation in the heart of the historical space of the old Arab-Muslim city and a direct and permanent contact with the local population and its Moroccan lifestyle. Thus, several modifications of the buildings and their organization took place where dars, riads and old palaces were reconstructed according to a logic of globalization defining new functionalities of the inhabited heritage that was formerly reserved for local domestic uses. In addition, the new population composed of international tourists and "cosmopolitan" residents has induced a process of gentrification and renovation of the old urban center of Marrakech, involving profound changes in housing and living conditions.Following a hypothetico-deductive approach, this thesis attempts to better understand the relationship between tourism and the historical heritage of the Medina of Marrakech and to study the dynamic of transition of its inhabited spaces to places of residence and tourist stay. We will examine how the conversion of dars and riads into tourist accommodation structures creates new urban dynamics and changes the local heritage landscape. ; Doublement classée en tant que patrimoine mondial de l'humanité par l’UNIESCO, la Médina de Marrakech témoigne d’une dynamique socio-spatiale et touristique importante. Depuis quelques décennies, le développement du tourisme et la patrimonialisation des lieux ont créé un engouement des étrangers pour les maisons traditionnelles dont une bonne partie est convertie en maisons d’hôtes communément appelées Riads. Ce phénomène a généré de ...